Iâm not questioning her credentials. I just find it hard to accept the headline premise of the article which suggests their readers naturally aspire to the stratospheric levels of good taste displayed by such world renowned connoisseurs as the Beckhams and Ed Sheeran.
Whenever I cook, I am deemed to have left the cooker dirty and spilt smears, or possible grease on the floor. Both these are invisible to the naked eye but abundantly obvious to the lady of the house.
So, cursing me, she painstakingly rectifies the invisible awful mess. If I deny it was there, it makes matters worse. If I admit to leaving so much as a grain of salt visible, I get âWell if you can see it why didnât you clean it up?â
Which leaves the option of confessing (even if there is nothing to confess) and insisting Iâve tried to clean it up. Which results in sarcastic laughter. And a suggestion that she should do the cooking so there isnât a mess. Agreeing to that would be fatal: "Iâve got to cook and clean up now!'. And I actually like cooking and Iâm good it it. My problem is that I donât recognise the kitchen is a pristine work of art and using it canât be tolerated.
Just looked that up. Bizarrely, I have just last night finished reading Down and Out in Paris and London. Picked up a copy in Camden Lock a couple of weeks ago.